Main Developments in 2020

60th Anniversary of Aksigorta

Sabancı Holding affiliate Aksigorta, a leader in the Turkish insurance industry, celebrated its 60th anniversary in the digital environment due to the coronavirus pandemic. Contributing to the sector and Turkey’s economy since 1960, Aksigorta leads the competition with an extensive portfolio of innovative and solution-oriented products and services. Aksigorta’s 60th anniversary celebration was held digitally in 2020. Participants of the online event included Sabancı Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors Güler Sabancı; Sabancı Holding CEO Cenk Alper; Sabancı Holding Finan-cial Services Group President and Aksigorta Chairman of the Board of Directors Haluk Dinçer; Aksigorta senior executives, employees and business partners. As one of the companies shaping the future of the industry, Aksigorta also successfully completed its digital transformation during the year.

Aksigorta Live Streaming Series

In 2020, most business processes and social life were conducted via online platforms due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, Aksigorta similarly carried out its people-oriented services through social media. A live streaming series was launched by Aksigorta on its social media ac-count with the hashtag #BambaşkaBirSen (You Beyond Yourself). The series covered many topi-cal subjects, from healthy eating to psychology, sports to mindfulness training, media to entertain-ment. Dietitian Dilara Koçak, clinical psychologist İpek Gökozan, sports trainer Murat Bür and musician/social media influencer Oğuzhan Uğur hosted live streams on specified days during the month to viewers, on nutrition, psychology and entertainment, respectively. The live streaming se-ries offered the viewing audience a unique online experience.

Additionally, Aksigorta presented a live streaming series featuring dietitian Güneş Aksüs, mind-fulness expert Dr. Eda Uslu, psychologist İpek Gökozan and sports trainer Murat Bür on nutrition, mindfulness, psychology and sports for one month.

Consultancy is Now Available in All Health Products

Aksigorta expanded the scope of its “Online Health Consultancy” application. With the online doc-tor service, which is now available for all healthcare products, Aksigorta customers are able to chat online with nearly 50 specialist doctors, dietitians and psychologists in 14 different branches. Cus-tomers with Aksigorta health insurance products will be able to make an appointment via the Call Center or the website at any time and then make a video call using the link sent to them.

With its online health consultancy service, Aksigorta stands out with its difference-making ser-vices, such as the number of processes and branches as well as the variety of doctor options. Aksigorta customers with any health policy such as Akbireysel, Aksağlık, Supplementary Health Insurance, Keep Living Insurance, and Easy Health are able to communicate with specialist doctors of 14 different branches from pediatrics to gynecological diseases, from otorhinolaryngology to orthopedics and dermatology; including a foreign language option. Being able to communicate with specialist doctors via video calls, Aksigorta customers can also get information on healthy nutrition from specialist dietitians and receive support on issues such as creating a diet program and losing weight. Providing policyholders with the opportunity to make a video call with psychologists, Aksigorta supports its customers in various matters such as anxiety disorder, depression, social phobias and panic attack.

Thanks to the latest updates to the Aksağlık mobile app, customers can monitor the pre-approval stages for examinations they undergo at contracted institutions. Aksigorta customers simply upload the image of the invoice and complete their application to receive payment after they are examined at a non-contracted institution. As a result, Aksigorta has eliminated the need to send the original invoices for health expenses up to TL 20,000. In addition, Aksigorta decided to conduct transac-tions online for customers who want to obtain health insurance coverage during this period.

Home Delivery Service from Aksigorta

With the new practices it has implemented in 2020, Aksigorta gave full support to stay-at-home orders by public authorities. Encouraging its customers to stay safely at home, Aksigorta continues to make their lives easier with home delivery services.

Aksigorta launched an online expert report program enabling remote motor and non-motor expert reporting to address customer claims processing without the need to leave home. Customers’ lives are made easier with remote expert reports by receiving documents or videos, when necessary, via WhatsApp. Aksigorta also offers free valet and towing services to damaged vehicle owners and provides any necessary vehicle service, maintenance and repair with its Pick-Up & Delivery Ser-vice application. By increasing its claims review limits, Aksigorta offers the opportunity to repair and replace automobile glass damaged as a result of accidents in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Adana at the address given by its customers via its mobile service vehicles. Aksigorta also provides ser-vices such as vehicle disinfection and ozone cleaning at certain service facilities after damage repair.

Aksigorta started accepting the necessary documents in all vehicle body damage claims via e-mail. This effort provides solutions to claimant or representative requests without prolonged claim file examination and payment periods.

Discount to Healthcare Professionals

Aksigorta gives a 15% discount to healthcare professionals, who have made great sacrifices since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Turkey in March. The discount campaign is for motor own damage and home insurance products.

One Month Postponement for Installments

Since its founding, Aksigorta has prioritized customer needs and provided its customers with all manner of convenience and support. In 2020, Aksigorta offered the opportunity to postpone in-stallment payments for customers experiencing financial difficulty. Committed to standing by its customers in these challenging times, Aksigorta has offered customers the option of postponing installments for one month interest-free. The offer was extended to customers with Akbank, Yapı Kredi, QNB Finans and Ziraat Bank credit cards in all insurance products since April 8, 2020.

Special for Corporate Customers

Aksigorta developed a Covid-19 support package in order to assist its corporate and commercial customers as well as its individual customers. This specially designed package provides up to TL 20,000 coverage in the event company employees require intensive care as part of their coronavirus treatment. As a result, Aksigorta ensures that corporate enterprises with 20 or more staff members can deliver sufficient support to their employees during these difficult days.

Babies Covered by Aksigorta Receive their First Gift from Aksigorta

Continuing to develop products and services with a people-oriented approach, Aksigorta gave sup-port to mothers and their babies with an insurance solution that goes “beyond.” Standing by its customers during the coronavirus pandemic as it has for 60 years, Aksigorta presented the first gold to babies of health insurance policyholder mothers who gave birth during Mother’s Day week.

Agency Support Package

The global coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed consumer behavior. These changing conditions also affect ways of doing business. In 2020, insurance sales were affected by the pan-demic and its impact. In response, Aksigorta prepared an Agency Support Package, a first in the sector, to ensure the business continuity of its agencies. The package is designed to help agencies adapt to changing market conditions and minimize revenue loss.

Aksigorta further demonstrated that it stands by its agencies with support packages in three differ-ent concepts: “I’m on Your Side,” “I’m with Your Business” and “I’m with Your Future.” With these innovative packages, Aksigorta aims to minimize the loss of revenue of agencies, support their cash flow, facilitate the continuity of their everyday operations and recreation, and provide rapid access to medical support in the event of emergency health issues.

Aksigorta makes commission payments to agencies on a weekly basis in consideration of their immediate cash needs. Aksigorta aims to facilitate target realization by reducing the targets in agreements, one of the main revenue items of agencies. In addition, Aksigorta provides flexibility in the commission system in order to boost agency revenues.

During the year, Aksigorta presented the “Wind of Success” award to all its agencies. This honor was previously given to agencies who were successful in the campaign.

The Medical Support Hotline was launched to provide 24/7 medical support to Aksigorta agencies. Aksigorta provides additional internet packages to meet the increasing online needs of its agencies during the time their staff spend at home. Prioritizing agency employee development with online training support, Aksigorta enabled agencies to continue investing in their people and their busi-nesses with personal training.

In addition, Aksigorta offered the Digiturk entertainment package to its agencies in order to boost morale and give a break to agency employees during this challenging period.

3,231 Agencies

Committed to providing support to its agencies at every opportunity, Aksigorta has recorded sig-nificant growth in its agency numbers over the last two years. Serving to extended coverage area, Aksigorta now has 3,231 agencies across Turkey.

Aksigorta delivers uninterrupted service to customers with its agencies in ten different regions spanning the country. In 2020, Aksigorta posted growth of 48% in the Istanbul European region and 33% in the Istanbul Anatolian region. Aksigorta expanded its agency network by 29% in the Marmara and Western Black Sea region, 32% in the Eastern Anatolia and Eastern Black Sea region and 27% in the Çukurova and Central Anatolia region.

Firmly believing that the most important contribution to the growth of the insurance sector is made by agencies, Aksigorta maintains its support to agencies with technology investments, support packages and training sessions.

Gift Cards and Gold Gifts to Agencies

Developing its product and service offering with a people-oriented approach, Aksigorta continued to support its agencies this year when it was necessary to stay home. Celebrating May 1 Labor Day of insurance workers, Aksigorta presented gift cards worth TL 150 to 10,000 employees working at its 3,000 affiliate agencies.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary digitally due to the pandemic, Aksigorta gave away up to 60 grams of gold to all its agencies in a demonstration of solidarity.

Voice Support in the Call Center with ADA

As part of its ongoing digital transformation efforts, Aksigorta digitized its customer experience with voice support provided by ADA at the call center. Following the rollout of voice support ser-vice, Aksigorta customers are now able to obtain information on their claims files – changes in file status, payment dates, payment amounts, and the like – 24/7 from ADA by dialing 444 27 27.

Automatic Push Notifications Post-Claims

Continuously improving customer experience with numerous firsts in the sector, Aksigorta now sends push notifications to its customers via WhatsApp with the new app it has developed. As a result, Aksigorta customers are able to monitor the status of their files with notifications received from WhatsApp, without having to contact the call center or make an inquiry on the website. This new application digitizes the Aksigorta customer service experience. Aksigorta customers who file a claim are informed via automatic notifications about the ongoing status of their files via Aksigorta’s Official Business WhatsApp account.

Government Supported Credit Insurance

Aksigorta offers Government Supported Credit Insurance, which will eliminate collection issues for SMEs whose annual revenue is below TL 125 million. Covering the receivables of SMEs who hold a Government Supported Credit Insurance policy, Aksigorta provides consultancy services to SMEs when choosing the companies they will work with. This product provides coverage against risk of non-payment of debt arising from domestic credit sales of companies. Aksigorta aims to provide coverage to a buyer who has been allocated a credit limit, against going into default due to legal circumstances such as bankruptcy, concordat or liquidation.

Aksigorta supports the risk management efforts of SMEs by monitoring the financial positions of its customers. With this approach, Aksigorta protects enterprises against unexpected collection is-sues, consolidates their financial structure and increases their credibility. As a result, SMEs are able to focus on their core business and put aside their financial issues.

Fiat Yol Arkadaşım Connect MOD Insurance

Committed to building the insurance system of the future by using the power of technology, Aksigorta broke new ground in Turkey by collaborating with Fiat. Using digitalization to offer next-generation insurance products and services, Aksigorta ushered in a new era in MOD insur-ance with Fiat. This innovative application is designed to meet customer needs while allowing cus-tomers to customize their motor own damage insurances.

Developed in cooperation with Tofaş R&D Center and Comodif and offered to Fiat users in Tur-key, the connectivity technology Fiat Yol Arkadaşım Connect was adapted to the insurance indus-try. The Fiat Yol Arkadaşım Connect Motor Own Damage Insurance application was introduced in cooperation with Aksigorta as a first in Turkey. With the innovative app, insurance amounts become more affordable in line with the manner and duration of use of the driver. Drivers using this app enjoy discounts of more than 10% on motor own damage policies depending on the duration of use of the vehicle, other than the driving score calculated by analyzing vehicle usage data.

Fiat Yol Arkadaşım Connect MOD Insurance calculates the policy price based on two basic data: usage time and driving score. The system performs an analysis before applying any additional cost to the policy. A discount on the total policy amount between 8.5% and 10% is applied to drivers with a driving score over 75. Discounts of up to TL 250 are also applied to drivers, depending on the duration of use of the vehicle. The data in question are evaluated by Aksigorta in the policy re-newal period; MOD policy discounts are determined individually. As a result, the relative risk cost included in the MOD insurance prices are not applied to drivers who drive their vehicles well. The number of days of use are also taken into consideration in the calculation.

İTÜ Çekirdek Insurtech Program

Under the leadership of İTÜ ARI Teknokent, Turkey’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub, the country’s leading insurance companies – including Agito, Aksigorta, Allianz, Eureko Sigorta, Güneş Sigorta, HDI Sigorta, Sigorta Cini and Vakıf Emeklilik – joined forces to implement the İTÜ Çekirdek InsurTech Program. This innovative effort was launched to develop new InsurTech related initiatives and solutions, build an industry ecosystem in this emerging area, commercialize these initiatives and create global success stories. The Turkish insurance sector’s leading players are providing significant support to entrepreneurs with the InsurTech Program launched at the İTÜ Çekirdek Early Stage Incubation Center. The program is hosted by one of the top five university entrepreneurship incubation centers in Turkey. This forward-looking effort aims to guide the future of the insurance industry.

As a sector that affects many aspects of the life cycle of individuals and institutions with a broad product portfolio, the insurance sector faces many challenges in the digitalization proces. The İTÜ Çekirdek InsurTech Program is expected to provide innovative solutions to these challenges. The program aims to better identify and raise awareness of the insurance sector’s needs, create new InsurTech solutions, transform these solutions into viable business models, further develop the industry with new collaborations, provide added value to the country and create global success stories.